"We've been in situations like this all year long, from the first game of the year," Timbers captain Will Johnson said. "Throughout the season there’ve been opportunities for us to practice this and we’ve done it a lot of times, so I think that’s where the belief comes from."

That belief is well-earned. As Johnson alluded to, the season-opener against New York wasn’t the only time Portland would respond to deficits. On the road later in March against the Colorado Rapids, the Timbers scored two goals in the final 35 minutes to erase a 2-0 deficit and escape with a 2-2 draw.

For whatever reason, Porter said, he’s seen his group play their best soccer when they’ve most needed it. He said when they’re facing a deficit he sees his players get just a little more aggressive, a little more focused and a little more clinical. And in the two weeks leading up to this weekend, he’s seen “tremendous” energy, and a group that “truly believes."

“Honestly, I think there have been periods this year, our worst periods, where we haven’t felt that urgency,” Porter continued. “So again, I’m strangely excited and eager to see just how aggressive and just how sharp this team is, knowing that we have to score goals and we have to win this game or our season is done. I think that little extra motivation and push is going to make for a very exciting game, and I think it will make for a game that we’re playing our best.”